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The fate of your business depends on your customers – the nature of your relationship with them is going to determine a lot of things for you. But, maintaining these relationships isn’t always easy.
Remember: customers are human beings just like you. They’ll have their good days and their bad days. And you can never really know which mood you might catch your customer in. The important thing to remember is to make your customers feel at ease and properly assisted.
By understanding your customers’ underlying needs and thought processes, you can create meaningful connections and build trust. When customers feel supported and understood, they are more likely to engage with your ideas and solutions.
Focusing on fostering genuine comfort and alignment can lead to healthier, more productive relationships.
5 clever psychology tips to win over your customers
1. Avoid buyer’s remorse
Customers invest a lot of time, effort, and money in your sales process. After buying the product, if they don’t find a satisfying justification for the purchase, chances are they will regret their decision. This is commonly known as buyer’s remorse.
Buyer’s remorse makes customers feel that your product will only bring more problems for them. This sentiment is then echoed among their peers, friends, and family. Customers with buyer’s remorse are very difficult to deal with, as they have already built strong negative perceptions about your brand.
The best way you can beat buyer’s remorse is actually by not letting it happen in the first place.
During the pre-sale phase, when you’re negotiating with customers, make sure to clearly understand what they need. Probe them to know what their requirements are. Based on this, you will be able to assess whether you can provide a suitable product to fit their needs.
But if buyer’s remorse comes up post-sales, it can be trickier to solve. Will buyers feel regretful or not is a question which doesn’t have a proper answer. This is where you need to provide a justification for the purchase.
Here are a few ways you might be able to pull off a smooth post-sales:
- Keep your customer service team vigilant. Every issue should be resolved as soon as possible.
- Regularly provide customers with social validation proof, including testimonials, reviews etc.
- Highlight specific proof that resonates with the individual customer, such as ROI calculations, cost or time savings, and key metrics that demonstrate how the product has benefited them since purchase.
2. Don’t over apologize
According to Beverly Engel, a psychotherapist and the author of ‘The Power of Apology’, apologizing for your mistake is a good habit, but overdoing it might not be such a good idea. Saying ‘sorry’ all the time can show that you are weak and have low self-esteem. These are traits you don’t want to communicate to your customer, especially if they are already upset.
So, when dealing with angry customers, you don’t want to keep apologizing. This gives them the upper hand and you are unable to control the situation. Be empathetic to the customer's situation, but at the same time, know how to hold your ground.
Instead of apologizing repeatedly, provide customers with solutions to their problems. This makes you look strong, decisive and respectable in the minds of the customer. These are all traits that help in building trust.
Here’s an example of how you should handle a customer query:
Weak customer service
I am sorry to hear that your system is unable to reboot. I will try to do something about it. Once again I am really, really sorry.
Effective customer service
I am sorry to hear that. I am sending a video, which has a step-by-step instruction on how to reboot your system. If you still have any questions, please let me know. Thank you and have a nice day.
3. Harness the power of selective perception
When dealing with customers, the first thing you need to do is create a rapport. Tailoring your message so that it fits with your customer's natural bias creates an instant connection. The better your connection, the more customers will open up to you, and the faster you will be able to resolve their problems.
This is the psychology of selective perception, where people consciously or subconsciously engage with messages that align with their beliefs
It’s important for you to know what your customer’s beliefs and interests are. Segment your customers based on their likes and dislikes and get insights from your data analytics to track user behavior. Based on this information, you can customize your message.
4. Leverage reverse psychology
Reverse psychology refers to advocating for a belief or behavior that is opposite to the one desired.
It’s essentially persuading someone without persuading them. Reverse psychology is a tricky one, but if you’re able to pull it off, dealing with customers can be a walk in the park for you.
Often, using aggressive tactics might put customers under pressure. For example: providing too many alternatives to a single query might put the burden on customers to choose which one to go for. This will only end up making customers more confused, which in turn will raise questions about your own ability.
Understand what customers want and provide specific solutions. The fewer choices, the better it is for the customer. Also, do not give the impression that your option is the only available solution that they can choose from – end the conversation by giving them an easy way out.
"Understand what customers want and provide specific solutions. The fewer choices, the better it is for the customer.”
If your customer is facing an issue, provide a solution and then end the conversation by telling them that you understand if they think that your product isn’t working for them. This might sound crazy, but in most cases, it builds trust and gives customers the confidence to apply your suggested solution.
5. Don’t talk badly about your competition
Even if you really want to – don’t badmouth your competitors in front of your customers. They might start associating those traits with you. This psychological effect is called Spontaneous trait transference.
If your customers are threatening to leave you and go to your competitor, instead of speaking trash about them, tell your customers about the amazing benefits that they might lose out on if they leave. Always remember: try not to paint your competitors in a bad light; there is a good chance it will backfire on you.
Winding up
By understanding and applying these psychological insights, you can transform your customer service experience into one that builds trust, fosters loyalty, and leaves a lasting impression. From addressing buyer’s remorse to leveraging selective perception and reverse psychology, each tip equips you to connect with customers on a deeper level while maintaining a professional and empathetic approach.
At Surfly, we empower businesses to take their customer interactions to the next level with tools like co-browsing and collaborative browsing. These solutions make it easy to offer seamless, personalized support, ensuring your customers always feel understood and valued. Contact us today to learn more.
